


love like cherry blossoms

by fallingstardust



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 20:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17050052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingstardust/pseuds/fallingstardust
Summary: Woojin and Jihoon's 14 year love story





	love like cherry blossoms

**Author's Note:**

> playlist: https://spoti.fi/2UT7CGn
> 
> _inspired by the movie On Your Wedding Day_

_**now playing:** _ **2002 by Anne-Marie**

[2018.]

After a long day of teaching kids to dance and handling fussy parents, Woojin is all too glad to finally return to his apartment. He grabs the stack of letters that have been piling up in his mailbox and heads upstairs, thoroughly exhausted.

It isn't until the next morning that he sees the gold rimmed envelope, adorned with cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms are a dead giveaway, and he opens it with slight hope in his heart — which crashes and burns when he reads the contents of the envelope. “You are invited to celebrate the joyous union of Park Jihoon an-” the invitation drops, along with his heart. 

 

[2004, Jinhae.]

“Park Woojin,” Mr Lee yells “follow me!”

Woojin slinks after him through the corridor full of students, none of them caring about the situation in front of them, as if it were a regular occurrence (it is)

—

Woojin is standing besides Mr Lee's desk, head bowed and hands together — seemingly regretful of his actions (he isn't, the shit eating grin on his face says otherwise) when another teacher comes up to the desk, a new transfer student in tow.

“Hey Lee, he's your new kid, the name’s Park Jihoon”, the teacher says dismissively with the wave of his hand as he walks out. The new kid — Jihoon, bows politely and hands Mr Lee his student file, while Woojin stands next to the table, hands still placed together. He quietly observes Jihoon, deciding he's taken a liking to him ( _his face_ , he hears a voice in his head say)

Woojin shifts to the side of the teachers office following a silent command by Mr Lee as he goes over whatever he needs to go over with cute boy ( _Jihoon_ , the voice in his head supplies). He isn't complaining though, anything to spend more time staring inconspicuously at cu- Jihoon.

When Mr Lee steps out of the office to get something, Woojin takes the opportunity to talk to Jihoon, “Park Woojin, transferred from Busan last year” as he sticks his hand out for a handshake. Jihoon doesn't shake his hand, instead staring blankly at Woojin. Embarrassed (wait, what? Park Woojin doesn't _do_ embarrassment), he retracts his hand with an offer to help Jihoon if he ever needs it (“from one transferee to another, and one Park to another”) 

—

Clearly, Woojin isn't the only one who's taken a liking to Jihoon, because less than a week into Jihoon's transfer to the school, he's received dozens of confessions, all of which he turns down. 

Woojins makes a proposal one day when they're sitting in history class (they're seatmates, due to their names placing them together on the class register), that Jihoon pretend to date Woojin to get all the other students off his back.

Jihoon accepts.

—

They go on many friend outings, ‘fake dates’, and Woojin learns more about Jihoon. He learns that he loves chicken, about his old schools, and he also learns that his feelings for Jihoon are growing.

The presence of Jihoon in his life makes school less boring, and he eventually stops his pranks, that once upon a time were his only entertainment in the dull building.

_**now playing:** _ **Spring Breeze by Wanna One**

One day in early April, Jihoon drags Woojin out of bed, ignoring his protests, to go see the cherry blossoms.

“Do you know what cherry blossoms represent? They represent the fragility and beauty of life. I've always loved that meaning because it reminds me that life is short, yet beautiful. And just because I'm caught up with my life, doesn't mean I should ignore the beauty around me, because life is short. The beauty won't last forever either, we should appreciate life while we still can”

Woojin finds Jihoon fascinating.

—

Woojin finds himself marvelling at the beauty of the cherry blossoms that he had never known about, despite having stayed in the town for over a year.

“Hey should we make a promise to meet here again in the future?” Jihoon asks as he turns back to face Woojin

“You watched too many dramas,” Woojin starts, but quickly changes his words when he sees Jihoon glaring at him “sure, let's meet here every five years. April 9th, 4.31pm, deal?”

“Deal.”

—

Along the way, the line between friend outings and dates starts to blur.

One day, Jihoon pulls him in for a kiss, and Woojin honestly has no idea what they are anymore.

He doesn't get his answer, because the next day Jihoon doesn't come to school. Neither does he the next day. Or the day after that.

Mr Lee tells him Jihoon dropped out.

 

[2008.]

Woojin never stops thinking about Jihoon. About the kiss. About everything that happened between them.

Which is why when he spots a miniscule Jihoon in a picture on a University brochure that his Mum had chucked at him, he finds a goal.

—

Everyone called him crazy, but he was entirely serious. He, Park Woojin, who had never once passed his overall score, was going to pass the entrance exam to Konkuk University.

He makes it.

_**now playing:** _ **Baby by The Rose**

 

[2009, Seoul.]

Woojin goes to Seoul with Jinyoung, who'd also made it into a university in Seoul.

He keeps searching for Jihoon, but failure to even see Jihoon after a week makes him wonder if he'd identified Jihoon wrongly. It's only when he passes by a chicken store that he has a brilliant idea.

The Ahjumma who owns the store is more than happy to accept Woojin as a part timer.

A week into the job, the person he's missed for years walks into the store. But he's not alone, He's holding hands with a broad shouldered guy.

Woojin's world stops.

Ahjumma jabs his back, and Woojin realises that Jihoon is staring at him, “Park Woojin?”

—

After Jihoon and broad shouldered guy finish their chicken, Jihoon drags him aside to talk.

“Woojin…. I have a boyfriend”

The confirmation stops Woojin's world yet again. But he's okay. He is.

Slapping a smile onto his face, Woojin starts “I'm happy for you! We're still friends, aren't we? Can I have your number?”

And just like that. They're back to being Woojin and Jihoon. Best friends, nothing more. Woojin is okay with that, at least he thinks he is. _You aren't_ whispers his mind, but he's just happy their friendship is back to how it was (he convinces himself that it is, though he knows it's a blatant lie)

—

Woojin and Jihoon get closer again, Woojin becomes part of Jihoon's friend group and eventually offers Jihoon a room in his rented apartment when Jihoon is left with nowhere to stay. 

It hurts him, but anything to make Jihoon happy.

Woojin isn't trying to be petty, but whenever Daniel (the broad shouldered guy, who he'd finally put a name to his face after discovering he was his new dance team captain) invaded Woojin's apartment to play games with Jihoon or just do whatever couples do, it felt like Daniel was literally pushing Woojin out of Jihoon's heart.

At some point in time, Woojin doesn't remember what it feels like to not be in love with Park Jihoon anymore.

 

[2011.]

Jihoon goes to study overseas, and they lose contact. 

Woojin tells himself, it's time to get over Jihoon. He tries. He follows Jinyoung and Daehwi to parties, he makes an effort to take interest in the people around him, but everything is just _Jihoon, Jihoon, Jihoon_ to him.

He's fucked. How did he fall so deep?

He fails.

 

[2015.]

Woojin locks up the dance studio he's working at and walks slowly to the convenience store round the corner from his apartment. It's a regular routine, and he spends the walk thinking about the days when him and Jihoon would eat at the convenience store for half of their meals. He smiles at the memory.

It's only when he takes a seat with his ramen, ddeokbokki and cheese concoction does he realise that the person sitting at the far corner of the store looks familiar. 

It's Jihoon.

_**now playing:** _ **What Love Has Taught Us by Eric Chou**

Woojin doesn't know how it happened, everything passed so fast. They'd been glad to have got back in touch, and somehow they end up dating.

It doesn't last long. 

Eight months into the new relationship, their weary hearts are no longer able to carry it further.

Perhaps, love alone just wasn't enough.

 

[2018.]

Jihoon left, and Woojin hadn't seen him ever since.

He laughs. They weren't fated after all.

The first time he hears from Jihoon after all those years, it's through the wedding invitation. Woojin doesn't understand, how Jihoon could invite him without any contact for three years. He decides, he won't go.

He's tired of only getting hurt. 

—

April 6, the day of the wedding, soon comes.

Woojin can't sleep. At 3am, he makes a decision. He's going to the wedding, he's going to get over his feelings and move on. Jihoon's happy now, he needs to move on. He has to. 

And so he takes the first train to Jinhae, the place where some of his fondest memories with Jihoon linger. He shakes his head, _it's_ _time to stop._

—

Woojin goes in to see Jihoon. Jihoon asks for some alone time with Woojin, and they talk.

“Jihoon, I just wanted to say… **I'm sorry**. I'm sorry for hurting you when we dated, I'm sorry for letting the love of my life go so easily. I'm sorry for running away, for never confronting the issue. And **Thank you**. Thank you for giving me the best years of my life. Thank you for making me grow as a person. Learning what loving someone is like. Lastly, **I love you**. I love you, I know I shouldn't be saying something like this but it's true. You'll always take up a part of my heart. They say you never forget your first love, I guess it's true huh-”

“Woojin…”

“I have to go Jihoon, I'll see you… around”

Woojin leaves the room, his thoughts a huge jumble.

He smiles as he leaves the venue

He thinks, he'll finally be able to put his first love behind him. 

_the end._

 

**+1**

[April 9 2009, 4.29pm.]

Woojin keeps his hopes up. He wants to believe Jihoon hasn't forgotten. So he goes. He goes back to Jinhae.

Jihoon doesn't come.

 

[April 9 2014, 4.52pm.]

Woojin refuses to give up. He tries again. 

Jihoon doesn't come.

 

[April 9 2019, 4.31pm.]

Woojin decides, today will be the last time he goes back to Jinhae, Jihoon forgot anyway, _why did he come back again_? He feels a tap on his shoulder and turns.

It's Jihoon.

**+2**

[2011.]

In an attempt to prove to himself that he can get over Jihoon, he accepts Hyungseob’s confession.

Out on a date, Woojin suggests eating at a chicken place, but Hyungseob rejects that idea, saying that he's on a diet. _Jihoon loved chicken._

Out on another date, Woojin suggests they go see cherry blossoms in Yeouido, but Hyungseob rejects the idea again, saying he doesn't understand why people flock to see flowers. _Jihoon loved cherry blossoms._

He realises that Jihoon still takes up most of his heart.

He fails his own challenge against himself. 

**+3**

[April 9 2009, 10.08am.]

“Jihoon, your Dad's in the hospital. He's in critical condition”

Jihoon looks at the date. _April 9 2009_. His promise with Woojin.

He thinks of his Dad drinking himself into a stupor. Of his Dad playing with him when he was a small kid. _Woojin… I'm sorry_ is all he thinks as he rushes off to the hospital. 

 

[April 12 2009.]

“Woojin-”

“Hey Jihoon I gotta run for my next class, catch you later!”

 _It's okay_ , Jihoon thinks, _he'll explain himself later._

He doesn't.

 

[April 9 2014, 2.56pm, Germany]

Jihoon looks at the paper in front of him. He wonders why him and Woojin are that ill-fated. _Maybe we aren't meant for each other._

Yet again, he doesn't go.

 

[April 9 2019, 12.37pm.]

“I'm going back to Jinhae to meet a friend. Of course I'll be okay~ I love you” Jihoon hangs up and looks out of the train.

Finally, he's able to make it. 

 

[April 9 2019, 4.31pm, Jinhae.]

He walks down the Cherry Blossom Road and looks for a familiar person on Romance Bridge. 

He taps on Woojin's shoulder “Woojin ah”

Woojin turns.

Jihoon smiles as he faces hisfirst love. 

**Author's Note:**

> 4:31pm because 11:02 + 05:29 = 16:31
> 
> at first i wanted to use a pretty town with cherry blossoms (cos battle trip) so i searched and jinhae came up. i thought of using hadong too but jinhae has this place called romance bridge so i felt it was more fitting,,
> 
> woojin transferred from busan, and jihoon from masan
> 
> jihoons ‘family circumstance’: his family is in debt and running from loansharks.
> 
> jinyoung is woojin's friend from jinhae, daehwi is jihoons friend from uni
> 
> jihoon goes overseas to study because woojin enters university a year after jihoon, so jihoon graduates first and goes overseas to further his studies
> 
> i have no idea what they major in, at first i wanted to put woojin's as physical education like the movie, then dance but idk anymore so i shall just leave it unnamed. same for jihoons lol
> 
> i’d like to think woojin moves on and finds a gf/bf, eventually getting his happy ending ♡
> 
> p.s i tried to write a fluff scene but it sounded horrible so i deleted it,, so no fluff….
> 
>  


End file.
